AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARD CHINA

Committee of 100 Committee of 100

COM MITTEE OF 10 0 Summer 2005

COMMITTEE BRIDGES Committee of 100

Seeking Common Ground While Respecting Differences

W HAT D O C HINESE A MERICANS T HINK

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C-100 survey reveals Chinese American views of China and life in America.

A NNUAL C ONFERENCE P HOTO G ALLERY

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Highlights of C-100’s 14th annual conference and gala in Washington, D.C.

T HE U.S. C ONGRESS A ND C HINA

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C-100 survey underlines gap between public and Congress on China.

C100 STUDY PAINTS DETAILED PICTURE OF

AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARD CHINA A groundbreaking survey of American attitudes toward China, spanning six months and sampling five different segments of the U.S. population, was completed this spring by the Committee of 100 and polling firm Zogby International. Done in three phases [see footer below], the findings have been presented at C-100-sponsored conferences in Hong Kong, Washington, D.C., and New York City and have garnered widespread coverage in the English- and Chinese-language press.

Americans as a military or economic threat. A few key outcomes were: • In general, American views toward China have improved since the Committee’s 1994 survey. Overall, Americans see China in a favorable light [Table I]. A strong majority of the public, Chinese Americans, business leaders and opinion leaders share a positive attitude toward China. Congressional staff members, on the other hand, have a strongly negative impression of China. In the 1994 study, the general public and Congress both had an unfavorable view of China, whereas today there is a large gap, with 59% of the public having a favorable impression of China, compared to only 19% of Congressional staff.

“American Attitudes Toward China: Views on Issues Concerning Greater China and U.S.-China Relations” was commissioned by the Committee to generate quantitative and qualitative data that can be shared, discussed, and used to better understand U.S.-China relations and formulate an action plan to improve those relations. “This study demonstrates the Committee’s commitment to researching the issues facing our community and helps us educate and promote understanding among the leaders VERY FAVORABLE of the United States, China and Taiwan,” said C-100 SOMEWHAT Chairman Robert Lee.

IMPRESSIONS

The project was co-chaired by C-100 members Carolyn Chin, CEO of Cebiz, and Xiaobo Lu, Professor and Director of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute of Columbia University, with the assistance of C-100 Research Director Fred Young. It was designed to allow comparisons not only among five key groups—the general public, opinion leaders, business leaders, Chinese Americans, and Congressional staff members—but also with C-100’s 1994 Wirthlin study on the same topic.

OF

CHINA

G ENERAL P UBLIC

O PINION L EADERS

CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS

BUSINESS LEADERS

CHINESE AMERICANS

9%

15%

1%

17%

29%

FAVORABLE

50%

48%

18%

46%

46%

F AV O R A B L E

59%

63%

19%

63%

75%

SOMEWHAT UNFAVORABLE

26%

28%

63%

29%

17%

VERY UNFAVORABLE

9%

9%

16%

6%

6%

U N F AV O R A B L E

35%

37%

79%

35%

23%

NOT SURE

6%

0%

2%

1%

3%

Chin says C-100 plans to distribute the survey results to a wide group of opinion leaders and stakeholders, including Members of Congress, editorial boards, business leaders, academic leaders, Asian American groups, and think tanks. Follow-up events will include seminars, speaking tours and education programs. The extensive findings provide a wealth of data on American attitudes toward China and U.S.-China relations, covering such questions as job loss to China, U.S. military obligations to Taiwan, and whether China is seen by

• Optimism about future relations with China exceeds pessimism, except for Congressional staff [Table II]. The most optimistic were opinion leaders, influential Americans in a variety of fields who had some knowledge of U.S.-China relations, with 56% saying the relationship is improving and only 8% saying it is getting worse. Congressional staff members, who are the target of a variety of China-focused pressure groups—from U.S. manufacturers to human rights advocates—had a different view, with only 27% noting improvement and 34% sensing a worsening trend [see table on p.14]. CONT’D ON PAGE 14

AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARD CHINA: COMMITTEE OF 100 SURVEY Conducted by Zogby International, December 2004—April 2005 Phase I: General Public and Opinion Leaders Phase II: Business Leaders and Congressional Staff Phase III: Chinese Americans To download reports and press releases, go to www.committee100.org.

COMMITTEEBRIDGES SUMMER 05 PAGE 2

BOB LEE

C H A I R M A N , C O M M I T T E E O F 10 0

My family and I have just returned from Machu Picchu, the ancient Incan city in the Andes Mountains of Peru. I went expecting to be amazed by the striking beauty of the region, the mysteries of the ruins, and the warmth of the people. I was not disappointed. Another aspect of Peru I was expecting was poverty. Approximately 50% of the population lives in poverty. The unemployment rate is 14%, and 60% of the population is “underemployed,” which means they do not work a full year. The work that does go on is, for the most part, manual. Despite these apparent obstacles, Peruvians are deeply proud of their rich history. They are pleased that tourists from around the world are interested in seeing this history first hand. At one point in our tour, our guide said that Peruvians are increasingly exposed to American activities and values and, as a result, they dream of coming to the United States and raising their families here because they view the opportunities to be so much better. As the conversation moved to politics, I commented on how surprising it was for Peruvians to elect a Japanese, Alberto Fujimori, to the presidency in 1990. Our tour guide thought for a moment and candidly replied, “Not surprising at all. After all, his parents emigrated from Japan to Peru and he was born in Peru. So, he is Peruvian!” His answer hit me like a lightening bolt: “He is Peruvian.” How many Asian Americans have lived in the U.S. for generations? How likely is it that an Asian American will be elected president in our lifetime? If and when that happens, will American tour guides say with an air of casualness, “Of course. Our president is American.” While Peruvians are dreaming of coming to the U.S. to see Hollywood and New York City and Las Vegas, I am dreaming of seeing a bit of Peru in our country. I am dreaming of that day when we can say without hyphens and additional adjectives, “Yes. He or she is simply American.”

O UR DUAL MISSION is to promote the full participation of Chinese Americans in all fields of American life AND to encourage constructive relations between the peoples of the United States and Greater China. BOARD OF DIRECTORS GOVERNORS Yo-Yo Ma I.M. Pei Henry S. Tang Oscar L. Tang Shirley Young OFFICERS Robert Lee, Chairman John L. Fugh, Chairman-Elect Daniel Chao, Vice Chair Carolyn Sue Chin, Vice Chair David Chu, Vice Chair Robert W. Gee, Vice Chair George P. Koo, Vice Chair Herman Li, Vice Chair Henry S. Tang, Vice Chair Alice Young, Vice Chair Dennis Wu, Treasurer Wilson Chu, General Counsel & Secretary DIRECTORS John S. Chen Anna C. Chennault Nelson G. Dong Matthew K. Fong David Ho Ming Chen Hsu Richard King Peter Liu Dominic Ng Leslie T. Schilling Charlie Sie C.B. Sung Jackson Tai Charles Y.C. Tse Carter Tseng Savio Tung Kung-Lee Wang Walter W. Wang Janet Yang Linda Tsao Yang Shirley Young Albert Yu EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR S. Alice Mong EXECUTIVE COUNSELLOR John Young 677 Fifth Avenue, 5th floor New York, NY 10022 www.committee100.org 212.371.6565 [email protected] Committee Bridges is published quarterly. Copyright 2005 Editor: Jane Leung Larson Design: Judy Q Wong Calligraphy: Winsley Wong

COMMITTEEBRIDGES SUMMER 05 PAGE 3

CHINESE AMERICANS

SEE CHINA IN MORE FAVORABLE LIGHT THAN

OTHER AMERICANS

AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARD CHINA: PHASE III Chinese Americans are much more likely than other Americans to view China favorably, according to the Committee of 100’s national study, “American Attitudes Toward China.” Released in May to mark Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the third phase of the Zogby International survey randomly polled 354 Chinese Americans. “Chinese Americans, first and foremost, see themselves as Americans,” said Professor Xiaobo Lu, Director of Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute. The statistics bear this out, showing Chinese American attitudes toward China close to those held by the general public, although often to a greater degree. For example, while 59% of the public have a favorable impression of China, an overwhelming 75% of Chinese Americans feel this way. And, 70% of Chinese Americans believe that the relationship between the U.S. and China has improved in the past ten years, compared to 57% of the American public who hold this view. As might be expected, the Chinese Americans polled were more informed about issues related to Greater China. An astonishing 92% said they could read or speak Chinese. Nearly three-quarters of the respondents (74%) were born in Greater China with only 26% American-born, and 72% said they had relatives in China with whom they have regular contact. The Internet was the most popular source of news about China (20%), followed by English-language newspapers (18%) and television (18%). Chinese American perceptions of the U.S.-China relationship are generally more positive than those of the American public. Human rights in China were of concern to both groups, but while nearly half of the general public saw it as an important problem (46%), only 20% of Chinese Americans did so. Fewer Chinese Americans see China as a military threat (43%) than Americans in general (66%), and when asked if China were an economic threat or partner, Chinese Americans were split, 41% to 41%, whereas only 25% of the American public saw China as an economic partner. Yet, both Chinese Americans (83%) and the general public (73%) feel that trade with China benefits the U.S. economy and agreed that inexpensive Chinese products were good for Americans (Chinese Americans, 85%; general public, 63%). A large majority (68%) of Chinese American respondents believe that in light of China’s economic reforms, it no longer can be considered a communist country. This attitude is particularly strong among Chinese Americans born in China, of whom 86% hold this opinion. Also polled on this topic were business leaders, whose responses were close to Chinese Americans (63% agreed), and Congressional staff, who disputed this notion, with 53% saying that China is still communist. When asked to name potential problems that might arise in the near future between the U.S. and China, the most common response of Chinese Americans was conflict over Taiwan, with the trade deficit coming in a distant second. This ranking was reversed among the general public, who mentioned unfair economic and trade policies as the top flashpoint, with Taiwan second. While the general public, not surprisingly, overwhelmingly supported self-determination for Taiwan (77%), Chinese Americans reflected their greater understanding of China policy with a plurality (48%) advocating continuation of the U.S. government’s “One China Policy” and only 38% favoring self-determination for Taiwan. An additional 11% of Chinese Americans would actively discourage Taiwan from further moves toward independence. Moreover, of those Chinese Americans who favor letting Taiwan decide its own fate (38%), less than half support U.S. military involvement if a declaration of independence by Taiwan leads to hostilities with China. BY JANE LEUNG LARSON AND FRED YOUNG

Carolyn Chin presents the results of C-100’s opinion poll of Chinese Americans at CUNY Baruch College.

CHINESE AMERICAN ATTITUDES— ADDITIONAL FINDINGS: • Impact of China on Chinese Americans: Two-thirds (67%) believed that Chinese Americans are adversely affected when Americans have a negative opinion of China. • Image of Chinese Americans: 51% feel that the portrayal of Chinese Americans in the U.S. media is negative, but over two-thirds (70%) agree that fashion, movies, and culture from China and Hong Kong improve their image. • Discrimination: Chinese Americans are about evenly split as to whether or not they have faced discrimination or been the subject of racial slurs (52% have, 45% have not). • Teaching Materials: The vast majority (84%) agreed that schools should include teaching materials related to China and the Chinese. • Corporate Board Representation: Most Chinese Americans (79%) believe that Asian Americans are underrepresented in corporate headquarters, citing discrimination as the top cause, whereas only 44% of the business leaders polled feel that Asian Americans are not given adequate access to the corporate boardroom. These findings resonate with C-100’s findings in 2004 that Asian Americans are under-represented on Fortune 500 boards. • Public Service: Government and public service (46%) topped the list of professions in which respondents hoped Chinese Americans would gain greater prominence, followed by science and technology (15%) and the business and corporate sector (14%). • Role Models: Unprompted, respondents were asked to name their Chinese American role models. Yao Ming (9%), Connie Chung (8%) and Michael Chang (8%) were the most popular choices. Among the other role models mentioned were C-100 members Yo-Yo Ma, I.M. Pei, Jerry Yang, Lisa Ling, David Ho, Iris Chang, T.Y. Lin, Charles B. Wang, John L. Fugh and Henry Lee.

COMMITTEEBRIDGES SUMMER 05 PAGE 4

S

CALING G REAT

C herry blossoms and smiling

“Go for it!” L i s a L i n g, host of > National Geographic Channel’s “Explorer,” encourages her table of mentees at the mentoring breakfast attended by nearly 200 mentees, both students and young professionals.

H

EIGHTS,

politicians greeted the Committee of 100 as 53 members and several hundred friends arrived in Washington for an intense three-day round of discussions on U.S.-China relations and Asian American affairs from April 7 to 9. < C-100 members celebrated the end of another rewarding conference at the law offices of Jones Day, thanks to Partner B r i a n S u n, at the podium. C-100 Chairman B o b L e e also saluted the conference cochairs J o h n L . F u g h , R o b e rt G e e , J a m e s L i , and N o rm a n L i u; the C-100 staff led by Alice Mong, Executive Director; Audrey Wu and Quinn Lemley of GlobalWu Communications; and the many volunteers and interns who contributed their time.


at the Gala Dinner were Agriculture Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics Joseph Jen, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, and Salina Jen.

Senator Ted Stevens, R-AK (l), who was a Flying Tiger pilot during World War II under the command of General Claire Chennault, presented the C100 award for International Cooperation to writer, lecturer and “the hostess of Washington” A n n a C h e n n a u l t (c). General J o h n L . F u g h (r) was the conference co-chair. Stevens hailed Madame Chennault as “our secret ambassador” in East Asia and a leader in bringing together the U.S., Taiwan and China. < The challenges of making China policy were dis-